Convertible camp cots



March 7, 1961 BEARDSLEY 2,973,888

CONVERTIBLE CAMP COTS Filed June 30, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 5 \0 I 7 1 0 :TIZ 4 \14 11 4 m 4 \50 \5 FIG] INVENTO FIG. 4 oiw/ffl/W March 7, 1961 BEARDSLEY 2,973,888

CONVERTIBLE CAMP COTS Filed June 30, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 March 7, 1961 BEARDSLEY 2,973,888

CONVERTIBLE CAMP COTS Filed June 50, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 IO 4 FIG. [2

F. G INVENTOR.

March 7, 1961 H. H. BEARDSLEY CONVERTIBLE CAMP COTS 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed June 30, 1958 FIG. l5

FIG. I6

IN VEN TOR.

United States Patent G F 2,973,888 7 CONVERTIBLE CAMP co'rs Harold Herbert Beardsley, 5885 W. 4th Ave., Denver, Colo.

Filed June 30, 1958, Ser. No. 745,364

Claims. (Cl. 224-9) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in folding camp cots and particularly to a cot which is light weight and may be easily converted into a seat and/ or into a pack frame and easily knocked down for storage.

Important objects of the invention are:

(-1) To provide a cot of the above type which has its body-supporting part composed of a pair of side rails and a body-supporting sheet stretched between them, and also provides for the quick attachment and detachment of the legs.

(2) To provide the bed structure with a component for converting it into a seat with an adjustable back.

(3) To provide a cot with an extra section which may be used to increase the length of the cot.

(4) To provide a cot with legs of such height that when used in the short version or with the extension omitted, the legs of the occupant may rest on the ground without discomfort.

(5) To provide a cot with a component for converting it into a pack frame.

(6) To provide an extra section which, when used as a pack frame, the above-mentioned extra section may be loaded with all or part of the pack load and may be easily attached or detached from the main frame.

Other objects of the invention will become apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of the description and where like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the several views:

Fig. l is a side elevation assembled to form a cot.

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the structure set up as a seat or lounge.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the carrying straps.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged'fragmentary side elevation of the hinge connecting the back and seat portions.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the structure assembled as a pack frame.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the extension detached from the pack frame.

Fig. 8 is a front view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 9 is a back view of Fig. 6.

Fig. 10 is a cross section of Fig. 8 looking in the direction of arrows 10-10.

Fig. 11 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the hinge connecting the back and seat sections showing a carrying strap attached.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary cross section showing the method of attaching the extension to the seat section.

Fig. 13 is a plan view of Fig. 12 with the seat rail partly cut away to show the method of securing the body supporting sheet; also, the keepers for preventing the leg from working out.

Fig. 14 is an end view of the hinge on the extension.

Fig. 15 is a side elevation of the short form of the cot.

Fig. 16 is a perspective view of the structure set as a seat.

Fig. 17 is a side elevation of the structure set up as a pack frame.

Fig. 14, the numeral 1 designates a back portion composed of a pair of rails, preferably of tubing for lightness, hingedly connected by hinge links to corresponding bars of a seat portion 2 best shown in Fig. 5, wherein the hinge '7 consists of two metal straps, one on each side of the rail and held together by rivets 7a and 7b. Rivets supports the rails in horizontal alignment by resting on the notch at the end of rails 2a of the seat section 2. A single strip of flexible material, such as canvas or the like, forms the sole body supporting element extending the entire length of the seat and back portions 1 and 2', and is secured to the rails by sewing the margin of the sheet to form a tube and inserting the side rails therein; the sheet is additionally secured to the 'side rails by means of eyebolts 9 shown in the plan view of the extension hinge, Fig. 13.

Legs 4 are bars, preferably of tubing for lightness, formed into a U shape, as shown in Fig. 2, the upright portions thereof being spaced somewhat wider than the extreme width of the back and seat portions 1 and 2 to provide tautness in sheet 6. The legs are attached to the side rails by inserting the upright ends through the holes provided in the side rails, as shown in Fig. 12.

The side rails are prevented from sliding down on the legs by means of pin 4a. The legs are also prevented from working out of the side rails, which is particularly important when the invention is being used as a pack frame, by means of keepers 8, shown in full and broken lines, Figs. 12 and 13, with the exception of the leg at the hinge connecting the back portion 1 and seat portion 2, which is hereinafter explained.

When it is desired to use the structure as a chair or lounge, the back portion 1 is held in the desired angular relationship to the seat portion 2 by means of a pair of straps, Fig. 5, which are detachably attached to the back and seat portions by means of snap 5b provided at one end of the straps and hook 5a provided at the opposite end thereof being engaged with eyebolts 9, Fig. 3.

Angular adjustment between the seat portion and the back portion is provided by slide buckle 50, Fig. 4. The extension 3, Fig. 1, is composed of a pair of rails, preferably tubing, a sheet of flexible material such as canvas having the margin sewed to form a tube into which the side rail is inserted and is' additionally secured to the said rail by eyebolts 9, Fig. 13. Leg 4 is attached to one end of the rails in the same manner described above with reference to back portion 1 and seat portion 2. The op.- posite ends of the rails are provided with hinges of semi-circular form best shown in Fig. 14, pivotally attached to the side rail by means of rivet 10a. The opposite end of the hinge is provided with a hole substantially at right angles to the axis of the hinge pin adapted to slip over the end of leg 4 projecting above the side rail of seat portion 2, and is secured by keeper 8, Figs. 12 and 13.

In converting the structure into a pack frame, leg 4 attached to back rails In, at their upper ends as viewed in Fig. 6, is removed from its normal dotted-line position and is attached to the opposite side of back portion 1, as indicated by the full lines. The seat portion and the back portion are folded together, one upon the other, and the hook 5a, Fig. 4, of one of the pair of straps 5, is inserted through one of the two openings provided in the back portion of sheet 6 and hooked around leg 4 attached to back frame 1, Fig. 10.

The opposite or snap end of the strap is snapped into the hole provided in the end of leg 4 projecting through the rail of seat frame 2 at the hinge, best shown in Fig. 11. The second of the pair of straps is similarly attached by inserting the hook through the other of the pair of holes provided in the back portion of sheet 6 and hooking it aroundleg 4 and attaching the snap at the opposite end of the strap to the end of leg 4 projecting through the opposite rail of seat, frame 2, thus tying the-back portion 1 and the seat portion 2 together and providing a pair of straps for carrying the structure as a pack frame. Legs 4 provide means for supporting and lashing on the pack load. The extension, in addition to providing a means for increasing the length of the cot, providesa component whichrnay be loaded with all or part of the pack load, such as shown by the broken lines, Fig. 6, and readily attached to or detached from the mainframe, thus making available the cot or seat in the short form withouthaving to unpack all or part of the packload.

The extension, when used as part of the pack frame, is attached to the structure by engaging hooks 11, Fig. 7, provided on either side of the extension at the hinge ends of the side rails with eyebolts 9, in seat portion 2, best shown at Fig. 6.

Referring now particularly to 17:

Fig. is the same in all respects as the. cot described in the foregoing and illustrated in Fig. 1, except the auxiliary section has been omitted.

Fig. 16 is the same in all respects as the seat or lounge described in the foregoing and illustrated in Fig. 3, except the auxiliarysection has been omitted. Fig. 17 is thesame in all respects as the structure foldedand set-.upas a pack frame described in the foregoing'and illustrated in Fig. 6, with the extra section omitted and the pack load lashed directly to the seat frame, as indicated by the broken lines.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this is a structure of simple construction, providing a comfortable cot, and chair-or lounge which may be easily converted into-a pack frame which is lightweight; comfortable to carry, and provides suitable means for lashing on and supporting apackload. While the foregoing description discloses the preferred construction, various changes could be made without altering or departing from the spirit of the invention.

I claim:

1. A convertible chair and pack-carrying device comprising a pair of pivotally connected seat and back panels, each of said panels comprising a rigid frame and sheet material secured tautly thereon, the frame of one of said panels including a cross piece near the end thereof remote from the pivotal connection between the frames and having a portion spaced substantially from the plane of the sheet material of said one frame, carrying straps for said device, means for detachably connecting said straps to said frames remote from said pivotal connection for holding said panels at the angle desired for the seat and back of the chair, the other of said panels being ifoldable into engagement with said one panel on the side thereof away from said cross piece, means for detachably connecting one end of each of said straps to said device near said pivotal connection, said other panel having at least one opening in the sheet material thereof near the center of its outer end and substantially opposite said cross piece when said panels are folded, and means utilizing an adjacent opening in said other panel for condrawings, Fig. 15, 16 and meeting the other end of'each of said straps to" saidcross piece to provide pack-carrying straps and for holding said panels in their folded position.

2. A convertible chair and pack-carrying device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said means for connecting the other ends of said strapsincludes an open book for engagaing said cross piece and a stop portion engaging said other panel adjacent-the opening in the sheet material and wherein the spacing of said hook and stop portion is less than the normal distance between the other panel and said cross piece in the folded position whereby said hook is engaged with said cross piece by deformation of said other panel and the tautness of the material thereafter retains the hook in engagement.

3. A convertible chair and pack-carrying device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said other panel has two spaced openings in the sheet material near the center and op posite the cross piece and eyelets for reinforcing said openings, and wherein said means for connecting the other end of each, of said straps to said cross piece comprises an elongated hook having a loop attached to the corresponding strap, said loop having a diameter greater thanthe internal diameter of the corresponding eyelet whereby said eyelet provides the engaging member between said hook and said panel.

4. A convertible chair and pack-carrying device as set forth in claim 1 wherein said sheet material of both panels is integral and provides an intermediate portion adjacent said pivotal connection which forms a closed end in the pack-carrying position of said panels.

5. A convertible chair and pack-carrying device as set forth in claim 1 wherein the frame for said seat panel comprises cross pieces near the ends thereof having portions parallel to the plane of the panel and spaced substantially therefrom to constitute supporting legs and a third panel member comprising side frame members and a cross piece similar to said cross pieces of said seat panel, means for attaching the ends of said third panel to. the frame of said seat panel to provide an extension of the seat, and means for securing the ends of said third panel to said seat panel in the folded position of said seat and back panels for supporting said third panel in position restingagainstthe cross piece of said seat panel adjacent said pivotal connection for holding said third panel in spaced relation to said seat panel and for affording asupport for a pack whereby the pack may be secured to said third panel without additional attachment to the other panels.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 39,150 Joubert July 7, 1863 2,043,854 Broberg June 9, 1936 2,316,456 Robes Apr. 13, 1943 2,561,886 Rikelman July 24, 1951 2,836,334 Davis May 27, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 76,461 Austria May 10, 1919 231,623 Switzerland July 1, 1944 337,812 France Apr. 29, 1904 848,409 Germany Sept. 4, 1952 956,986 France Aug. 15, 1949 967,412 France Mar. 29, 1950 1,018,553 France Oct. 15, 1952 

